Does Every Occupant Need Access to All 3 Exits?

12/16/2022

A business occupancy we're working on has 550 occupants, and requires three means of egress per Section 7.4.1.2 (NFPA 101, 2018 Edition).

Section 7.5.1.1.1 indicates that egress shall be arranged such that each occupant has access to not less than two means of egress.

When the three means of egress are required per Section 7.4.1.2, does access to all three means of egress need to be provided to each occupant?

Or will providing access for each occupant to a minimum of two means of egress satisfy the code requirement?

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7 Comments

Alex

12/16/2022 07:41:22 am

When determining number of exits, there are two main driving factors: occupant load and common path of travel.

Occupant Load:
For your case, since you are over 500 occupants (and under 1,000), you are required to provide three means of egress. Two of the means of egress need to be properly separated. This is to decrease the chance of congestion and ensure adequate time to egress. When you layout the exits, you need to indicate the number of occupants that will be utilizing each exit and show the egress width is in compliance.

Common Path of Travel:
Now, if you have a smaller space that will be loaded under 50 occupants, it is still possible to require two means of egress. You need to review the common path of travel, per occupancy classification, and ensure that in any one location the common path of travel is in compliance.

To answer your question, no, not every occupant needs three means of egress. BUT, any room loaded over 50 needs two and any room/space loaded over 500 will need 3. You then need to review that space individually to ensure common path of travel and maximum travel distance. Both of these are measured to your closest exit. Since most of the time you will exceed your common path of travel, those occupants will require (2) exits.

Hope this helps!
Alex

Glenn Berger

12/16/2022 08:12:51 am

In addition to Alex's response, if possible ensure that all egress components are sized for the same number of occupants. By this I mean, do not size 1 exit for 50% of the occupants, 1 exit for 40% of the occupants, and the last exit for 10% of the occupants.

Jesse

12/16/2022 08:30:22 am

Glenn beat me to the follow-up point on Alex's response. The reason for this of course is that it is expected occupants will evacuate by using the means of egress furthest away from the hazard. Obviously, this applies to just the two means of egress also,

Todd E Wyatt

12/16/2022 08:52:37 am

Determining the Occupancy Classification(s) (OC) and if the building is protected throughout by an automatic sprinkler system (ASPS) are additional requirements when evaluating the Means of Egress (MOE).

The Building’s OC & ASPS determines the (3) maximum Travel Distances :
1. Common Path (2018 NFPA 101 Table A.7.6 & 2021 IBC Table 1006.2)
2. Exit Access (2018 NFPA 101 Table A.7.6 & 2021 IBC Table 1017.2)
3. Dead End (Corridors) (2018 NFPA 101 Table A.7.6 & 2021 IBC 1020.5)

As some of the other commentors have stated, the “loss” of 1 of the 3 required MOE shall not reduce the remaining available MOE capacity/width by less than 50% of the required MOE capacity/width.

Assembly OC require that the “Main Exit … accommodate not less than one-half of the occupant load” per 2021 IBC 1030.2 Assembly Main Exit.

The Codes (NFPA 101 & IBC) do not have additional prescriptive requirements in how a Life Safety Plan may “assign” occupants to individual MOE … this determination relies on the Design Professional & AHJ agreeing to a complaint MOE plan.

Norbert Soliva link

12/16/2022 05:58:27 pm

In addition to the aboved clarification, We need to satisfied tha code about the number of means of egress to meet the time to evacuate all the occupants of the buiding as 100 person per unit of exit width. Also include in our design the formula in the remoteness of each means of egress.

Chuck

1/11/2023 03:52:19 pm

Q. When the three means of egress are required per Section 7.4.1.2, does access to all three means of egress need to be provided to each occupant?
A. No. Large facilities with high occupant loads are required to have more than 2 exits from each story so at least one exit will be available in emergency situations and to increase the likelihood that a large number of occupants can be accommodated by the remaining exits when one exit is not available.
The life safety code specifies that the loss of one exit must not reduce the available exit capacity by more than 50% coupled with the requirement to provide a minimum separation distance between exits based on the diagonal dimension of the story or floor area to reduce bottlenecks and maintain egress flow
Equal distribution of exit capacity among all exits is not a code requirement but proper design is based on occupant load and capacity distribution to avoid dependence on one exit and bottleneck situations.

Steven Reilly

3/2/2023 02:26:28 am

So only 2 of the exits need to meet the exit separation requirements of 7.5.1.3, and there is no code requirement for the 3rd exit to meet the same remotness criteria? As a rule of thumb I try to ensure the 3rd exit is more than 45 degrees away at the end of the common path employing the UK regulations

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Does Every Occupant Need Access to All 3 Exits?

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